The Story After and Before
by Pure-Rose-Kunoichi
Summary: Sasuke's back to the village, several people are going out and getting married. but why does everything still seem empty? Story WAY better than summary SasuSaku NaruHina ShikaTema NejiTen Minor Angst and Humor
1. Prologue

**The Story After and Before**

**Note:** Happens after Shippuden, Sasuke's back. Itachi's condition is unknown for now

**Pairings:** NaruHina, SasuSaku, ShikaTema, NejiTen

**Ages:**

Team Kakashi/Kurenai/Asuma-16

Team Gai- 17

Temari-Do I really need to tell you? Okay I will, 19

Disclaimer: Okay...how can some teenage girl own Naruto when it's owned by a adult guy?

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**Prologue **

A team of five Konoha shinobi jumped from tree to tree looking for their target. He has been reported seen around the village and the Fifth Hokage had sent them to either find out what he's doing or chase him out. The rain poured heavily down upon the five but none of them cared, all they cared about was to complete their mission.

"What do you think he's doing?" murmured the only kunoichi in the group to the team leader.

"To be honest...no idea" the leader replied.

"Sasuke..." whispered the blond following the kunoichi

"Hold on..." the team leader ordered, the other four stopped next to him, he turned to a ninja next to him, "Neji can you take a look? See if he's around?" Nineteen year old Hyuga Neji nodded and activated his Byakugan. The 360 degrees vision scanned the forest and spotted Sasuke lying on the forest ground, his chakra supply surprisingly low.

"Yes...I see him..." Neji informed the group, "lying on the floor, about 150 meters to the north west. His chakra supply is low but don't let your guard down"

"...Sasuke!" The kunoichi went ahead of the group, her green eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Sakura wait!" the blond shouted after her. He went after her.

"Sheesh! I'll never understand Kakashi's team..." the leader muttered.

"Don't worry..." The fifth member said, "go on Akamaru, track them for us. Don't worry Shikamaru, they'll be fine" The huge dog next to Inuzuka Kiba sniffed the air, the scents of Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura where fresh compared to the scents of earlier patrols of Konoha ninja. Akamaru found their scent trails and the rest of the team followed. The leader, Nara Shikamaru in the lead, followed by Kiba and his huge dog, Akamaru and Neji they kept moving until Neji's Byakugan found the two in a small clearing, Sakura was kneeling next to a figure lying on the ground while Naruto was standing next to her. As the rest of the team arrived, Sasuke opened his dark eyes and looked at his past comrades.

"I'm sorry..." he moaned, "I truly am sorry for leaving the village" Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba and Neji glared at him remembering when they along with Akimichi Choji went to retrieve him. Neji and Choji was nearly killed by two of the Sound Four who was escorting him to Orochimaru, but here he was, lying in a puddle of rain, cleaning the blood that was flowing out of his injuries. Sakura's expression had more sympathy for the missing-nin but her eyes also had a furious expression as she remembered how her friends got injured because of him.

"Then why come crawling back now?" She growled, "you had five years to do that and you come back now?" Sasuke shifted his head and he held her expression for a second.

"Sakura..please! I want to talk to Tsunade-sama" She continued to glare at him. The last trickle of hope flowed away.

_Flashback_

"_There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you!" a younger Sakura screamed, "that's why...take me with you" Sasuke turned around with a little smirk on his face_

"_You still are annoying after all this time" She looked at him startled for a moment. He made a swift movement so he was standing behind her and whispered a "Thank You" before knocking her out._

_End of flashback_

The other ninja let out a _really_ frustrated sigh. If Sakura caved in she'll persuade the others to help him. Shikamaru simply hoped that she won't agree to help him that easily. Sakura and Sasuke continued their 'staring match' until Sasuke dropped his gaze and sighed. Sakura however consulted her teammates.

"So?" She asked Shikamaru in a low voice.

"I'm not so sure..." Shikamaru admitted

"That act of his...he must be desperate if he's acting like that" Kiba pointed out.

"Psst! If it is Sasuke at all!" Naruto burst out

"It is Sasuke" Neji pointed out, Akamaru gave a little bark of agreement.

"So?" Sakura asked again, this time a little less patient.

"I think.." Shikamaru lowered his voice so the others leaned forward to listen, "we should get him to tell us why he's here, if he's lying we should know" he nodded towards Neji and the others agreed. They all turned to Sasuke again, who was staring at the sky ignoring the rain drops pouring down upon him.

"Sasuke...what are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked him, with a voice that showed no hostilely

"I..came back to..." That's when he fainted.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

**Three Days later**

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"Sasuke?" Sakura peeked into the Uchiha's room bringing him a white daffodil. Sasuke was sitting up now and feeling heck a lot better under the gentle care of all the medics, especially Sakura. He looked at her.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan?" She nearly dropped the vase in surprise, he called her Sakura-_chan_, he never did before. **(Or did he? I never pay attention to the honorifics)**

"oh um...I brought you something" She placed the vase on his bedside table and sat down next to him on a chair.

"I guess you want to know why I came back right?" he asked suddenly

"Yea...in fact the entire village is dying to know"

"Sakura...I can't tell you until I tell Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensi...what happened since I was away?"

"Oh...we all advanced to Jonin, Ino's leading her own team, and Temari is staying longer than she used to"

"Why?" Sasuke asked, suddenly interested

"For Shikamaru!" Sakura squealed, "and Naruto wised up to Hinata and guess who melted Konoha's number one ice cube, Neji into slush?"

"Tenten?" Sasuke grinned and made a mental note to himself to bug Neji about it later, "Sakura listen.."

"Yes, Sasuke-kun..what?"

"I came back partly because I want to return to the village and partly for...you"

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**End of Prologue**

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PRK: Yes Sasuke's really OOC, but live with it! Leave a review! And NNG is taken off for editing, the first chappie sucked.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Story After and Before**

Disclaimer: I, Pure-Rose-Kunoichi dose not own Naruto...

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**Chapter One**

-------------------------------------------------------------

**Approx a week after**

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"Sakura!" Ino called to her best friend and roommate. "TSUNADE-SAMA WANT YOU IN HER OFFICE!"

"OKAY INO-CHAN I'M UP!"

**Yea, they're living together in Ino's apartment...Roommates**

"Sheesh, I swear your becoming more like Shikamaru these days!" Ino remarked watching Sakura eat up the scrambled eggs.

"I've been really busy! Unlike you!"

"WHAT?! I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT MISSIONS THESE PAST WEEKS WHILE YOU HUNG AROUND THE HOSPITAL DOING NEARLY NOTHING!!"

"YEA BUT I WENT AND RETREAVED SASUKE-KUN!"

"WITH NARUTO, SHIKAMARU, KIBA AND NEJI'S HELP BILLBORAD BROW!"

**Old habits die down hard XD**

"Sorry Hokage-sama!" Sakura panted into the Hokage's office where she and Sasuke where waiting.

"About time!" Tsunade said, "Okay, now Sasuke's all better now, I want to send him out on a mission, if it proves successful, I will allow him to return to being a shinobi in this village. It's a B-rank mission and you must try to drive out a group of rouge Ninja from the Land of Snow. You know the territory well and the other two in your team should be arriving..."

As if on cue Naruto and Hinata stomped in, both covered in sweat.

"Sorry Tsunade-basan, we were training and lost track of time!" Naruto said

"If surprised that such a knuckle head like you ever got yourself a girlfriend!" Tsunade snapped, "Okay, Haruno Sakura will be the team leader and you all know the objective, get going and let me get started on my work in peace!"

------------------------------ On the way to the Land of Snow XD---

"Naruto are you sure that this is the right way?" Sasuke asked

"Yea pretty sure..."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID A MEAR HOUR AGO!" Sakura roared in frustration

"THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, YOUR THE TEAM LEADER!" Naruto bellowed at her

"WELL, WHO WAS THE ONE WHO SAID THAT HE'LL LEAD THE WAY?!" Sakura yelled. Hinata and Sasuke sighed.

"N-Naruto-kun, I got a map with me of the land between Konoha and the land of snow..." Hinata stammered.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING IT OUT?!" Naruto and Sakura screamed at the same time.

"Well...I was going to but N-Naruto said he knew the way..." Hinata took a piece of paper out of her pocket.

"Were did you get that?" Sasuke asked

"I-I s-stole it from one of the books in the H-Hyuga's L-library..."

"You did WHAT?!" Naruto and Sakura screamed. Hinata gave them an uncharacteristically sly smile.

"I thought I should do something to help beforehand, so I snuck into the library before we left...j-just don't tell anybody.."

We won't" the other three said together.

Hinata smiled, she knew she could depend on them.

------------------------------------------------- Back in the village

"Shika-kun...Wake Up!" Shikamaru jerked awake, and looked at the window.

"TEMARI! WTH ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Shikamaru screamed, the Sand kunoichi was sitting on his window.

"What do you think? Do get your lazy butt of your bed and actually do something, We're supposed to go to Suna for some mission with Neji and Tenten" It took about half a minute to take the damn slacker to drink it all in.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO! I'M GANNA BE SO BUSTED!"

----------------------------------------- Nice one Tema

"Shi-ka-ma-ru-Na-ra" Tsunade growled. "Why. Where. You. Late?"

All she got in response was a yawn. Temari sighed, why was she in love with this slacker?

------------------------------------------------- Check up with Team Sakura (about two days later)

"HAHA piece of cake!" Naruto marched out of the Land of Snow's gates followed by..nobody.

"YAY Sasuke-kun is going to be welcomed back like a hero after what Tsunade hears!" Sakura cheered. Naruto glared at his old rival.

_Flashback_

"_Naruto behind you!" Hinata screamed. Naruto spun around as a rouge ninja lunged at him, he readied his kunai and before he could do anything he clasped, having used up most of his chakra and there must have been a delay with the Nine-tailed fox's. Sasuke had blocked the rouge's attack just when Naruto felt the strength come back. "Naruto!" _

"Rasengan!" _the rouge was dead and it was Sasuke that saved his butt...again_

_End of flashback_

Sasuke grinned, Hinata smiled, Sakura hugged him and Naruto can't help feeling happy. His best friend was back and that's all that matters.

---------------------------------Back in Konoha

"We better report to Tsunade-sama" Sakura said to her team, all of which murmured in agreement. Tsunade had been happy to hear of Sasuke proving his loyalty in this mission and she gave him a new leaf headband (his old one was scratched out) and the four went to find the others of the Konoha 11 now 12.

"Awesome! Sasuke's back!" Ino cheered.

'Troublesome" Shikamaru growled. Which earned him a punch from Ino.

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Finally Sakura and Sasuke where alone, in Sakura's house (Ino was away on a mission). She offered to help in settle in tomorrow **(XD his old house must be a Dust paradise by now**) He agreed. Sakura looked into the fridge...and omg Ino forgot to do the grocery shopping so Sakura had to run to the Raman bar and order some to go and by the time she got back, it was 10:00. Just lucky for her Sasuke managed to get some patience in the time he was away. They ate quickly and they both where exhausted from coming back from the mission (Naruto kept getting them lost) fell asleep on the kitchen table.

The next day was nothing but chaos, Naruto and Kakashi came by to help to and Naruto nearly smashed 9 of the Uchiha Clan's valuable possessions. Kakashi sat around most of the time reading his dumb Icha Icha book so he did next to nothing. Sakura had to buy the food and cook it and Naruto was howling for Raman by three, so Sakura had to run to his apartment and get some instant Raman cups for all four of them. Sasuke's temper took over at five when Naruto asked for the sixth time which bathroom still needed toilet paper. At 5:15 Kakashi left and returned at 6:00 with more Icha Icha books, By the time Sasuke's house was spotless, windows and floor shinning, and everywhere dust-free is was 12:43. Sakura and Sasuke fell asleep in the kitchen, Naruto and Kakashi left them a pillow and blanket each before leaving.

-------------------- The next day XD

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Sasuke"

"...What?"

"Sorry"

"For what?"

"For spending the night here without you knowing"

"It's okay...let's get some Raman"

"...No...We're going to the hospital"

"Why?..."

"You just said 'lets get some Raman'"

"..."

"..."

"Okay..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Sakura"

"..."

"Are we ganna do this all day?"

"..." Before Sakura can answer, there was a knock on Sasuke's door. Sasuke opened it to reveal an out of breath Ino.

"OMG thank goodness your both here! You got to come now! My team was just attacked and taken hostage by Orochimaru's Otonin!"

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Me: lol left a cliff didn't I?

Konoha 12: As always...

Me: Sasuke's got something to say to everybody right?

Sasuke:...who told you that?

Me: (poke poke) that six letter word that almost every author that does character talks say at the end

Sasuke:...okay, I don't want to say it but if I don't she'll never leave me alone...REVEIW PEOPLE!


End file.
